The Mesa Grande Band is a federally recognized Kumeyaay community based in San Diego County, California — not Apache. The inclusion of "Apache Nation" in the denomination text on a coin issued by a Diegueno band reflects the broader pattern of tribal nations issuing currency featuring unrelated indigenous subjects, a practice that proliferated after the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 quietly expanded the economic infrastructure available to recognized tribes. These pieces circulate almost exclusively among collectors; no meaningful exchange economy for them exists on or off reservation.
The Mesa Grande Band is a federally recognized Kumeyaay community based in San Diego County, California — not Apache. The inclusion of "Apache Nation" in the denomination text on a coin issued by a Diegueno band reflects the broader pattern of tribal nations issuing currency featuring unrelated indigenous subjects, a practice that proliferated after the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 quietly expanded the economic infrastructure available to recognized tribes. These pieces circulate almost exclusively among collectors; no meaningful exchange economy for them exists on or off reservation.